Rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XDR lineage derived from recombination between XBB and BA.2.86 subvariants circulating in Brazil in late 2023.

Recombination plays a crucial role in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. The Omicron XBB* recombinant lineages are a noteworthy example, as they have been the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant worldwide in the first half of 2023. Since November 2023, a new recombinant lineage between Omicron subvariants XBB and BA.

Conspiracy narratives and vaccine hesitancy: a scoping review of prevalence, impact, and interventions.

Believing conspiracy narratives is frequently assumed to be a major cause of vaccine hesitancy, i.e., the tendency to forgo vaccination despite its availability.

Explaining seasonality increases perceived effectiveness of influenza vaccination: An experimental study.

Background: Doubts regarding vaccine effectiveness may prompt people to decide against a seasonal influenza vaccination. While fact boxes show the effectiveness in terms of cases prevented, people often lack knowledge about important contextual factors, for example, why the vaccine formulation needs to be updated annually, the vaccine mechanism and relevance of the antigen-virus match. Adding such contextual information could improve effectiveness perceptions.

Sequencing and Analysis of Strains from A and B Supergroups Detected in Sylvatic Mosquitoes from Brazil.

are endosymbiotic bacteria that infect a wide range of arthropods and filarial nematodes, often manipulating host reproduction. The efficacy of -based interventions for dengue and chikungunya control has been validated through numerous field studies in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the diversity and prevalence of infections in sylvatic mosquitoes from two locations in Recife, Brazil.

High Clinical Burden of spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana.

There is a paucity of information on the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical correlates of people living with HIV (PLWH) who are co-infected with spp. in the post-combined antiretroviral therapy era in Ghana. To provide such data, in this observational study, stool samples of 640 HIV-positive and 83 HIV-negative individuals in Ghana were screened for spp.

Filovirus Infection in Humanized Mouse Models.

Since the discovery of filoviruses in 1967, there have been more than 40 outbreaks with high case-fatality rates causing more than 30,000 deaths in humans. Filovirus disease (FVD) involves the dysregulation of many host physiological processes. While many advances in the field have taken place since the first outbreaks, the dearth of small animal models that translate the features observed during FVD in humans has limited our understanding of the pathology.

The C-type lectin receptor MINCLE interferes with eosinophil function and protective intestinal immunity in Strongyloides ratti-infected mice.

Strongyloides ratti is a helminth parasite that displays tissue-migrating and intestinal life stages. Myeloid C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that recognize pathogen-derived ligands and initiate immune responses. To date, the role of CLRs in S.

Distinct brain and lung endothelial miRNA/mRNA profiles after exposure to infected red blood cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control 60% of genes expressed in the human body, but their role in malaria pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate cell type-specific alterations to the miRNA profiles during the early response to malaria infection in brain and lung endothelial cells (ECs). In brain ECs, incubation with -infected red blood cells in the ring stage (iRBCs) most significantly affected endocytosis-related miRNAs and mRNAs.

Brief Report: Depression, Substance Use, and Factors Associated With Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Adults Living With HIV in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Background: Mental health and substance use disorders are common among people living with HIV and are associated with high-risk sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sex and multiple sexual partners, but Asia-Pacific data are limited.

Methods: Adult PLHIV in care at five Asia-Pacific HIV clinics were enrolled at routine clinic visits between July 2019 and June 2020. Depression, substance use, sexual practice and socio-demographic data were collected using PHQ-9, ASSIST, and a study-specific questionnaire.

Identifying risk factors for clinical Lassa fever in Sierra Leone, 2019-2021.

Lassa fever (LF) virus (LASV) is endemic in Sierra Leone (SL) and poses a significant public health threat to the region; however, no risk factors for clinical LF have been reported in SL. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for clinical LF in an endemic community in SL. We conducted a case-control study by enrolling 37 laboratory-confirmed LF cases identified through the national LF surveillance system in SL and 140 controls resided within a one-kilometre radius of the case household.

Evaluation of waning of IgG antibody responses after rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP and Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo Ebola virus disease vaccines: a modelling study from the PREVAC randomized trial.

rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP and Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo are WHO-prequalified vaccination regimens against Ebola virus disease (EVD). Challenges associated with measuring long-term clinical protection warrant the evaluation of immune response kinetics after vaccination.

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in ruminant farms of Peninsular Malaysia: First molecular evidence of Borrelia theileri in Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).

To shed light on the importance of tick-borne diseases, especially in farm animals that often contact with farm workers, this study aimed to identify ticks and tick-borne pathogens in ruminants in Malaysia. Accordingly, specimen collection was conducted across Peninsular Malaysia yielded a total of 1241 ticks collected from 674 farm ruminants. Among these, four tick species were identified, with Rhipicephalus microplus being the most prevalent, constituting 99.

A distinct Borrelia clade within the relapsing fever group from cat-infesting Haemaphysalis semermis Neumann 1901 (Acari: Ixodidae).

An undescribed relapsing fever group Borrelia species was detected in a male Haemaphysalis semermis tick infesting a rural cat in an indigenous population in Pahang National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. The 16 S rRNA gene sequence revealed close similarity of this variant to several undescribed Borrelia species and Borrelia theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 0.58 to 0.

Recompensation of Liver Cirrhosis by TIPS Reduces Epithelial Cell Death Markers, Translating Into Improved Clinical Outcome.

Background And Aims: Portal hypertension is the main pathophysiological driver of decompensation in patients with liver cirrhosis. Epithelial cell death markers, m30 and m65, correlate with hepatic injury and predict outcomes across various stages of liver disease. We aim (i) to evaluate whether portal hypertension itself contributes to liver outcome-relevant epithelial injury, and (ii) to analyse the capacity of m30/m65 to predict outcome in patients receiving a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for refractory ascites.